


Protect

by denna5



Series: Jagged Pieces [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brainwashing, Conditioning, Dark, Dubious Consent, Dubious Morality, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-31
Updated: 2014-05-31
Packaged: 2018-01-27 17:05:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1718105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denna5/pseuds/denna5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is very little that the solider has and what is his, he keeps. </p>
<p>Continuation of Content Monsters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protect

**Author's Note:**

> So this is now a series and I hope people enjoy it.

_He is cold, the feel of metal against his fingers and the train keeps moving, the metal breaking. Bucky tries to hold on but he can’t and then he is falling._

_It is not so bad, just wind but he sees Steve’s face right as he can’t hold on any more and it is all he can think about as he plunges to the ground. Steve had looked scared, sad, and he can’t stand it when Steve looks that way, hates the fact that he is the reason that look was on his face. It won’t matter soon enough and at least Steve is safe, at least Bucky was able to stop him from being hurt one last time._

_He hits the ground and his shoulder doesn’t feel right, he can’t feel one of his hands, and his vision swims. There is pain and he can’t handle it, darkness claiming him. When he awakes, it is to something being done to his shoulder, to his arm being replaced. There is a voice that tells him that Hydra has use for him and all he can think about is whether Steve will ever know what happens to him._

_When it is over, he is cold and his fingertips are smooth metal and nothing can stop him from hitting his target._

The solider protects what is his, keeps it close to him. He doesn’t have much, most of the weapons he uses he doesn’t even really consider his, but he has them, the widow and the hawk, and he will not let any harm come to them. He won’t let Shield take away something that is his.

_They tell him that she is called the Black Widow but she can be called Natasha if it is needed. She is pretty, pale skin and red hair, and there is something about her that seems familiar. The solider wants to hold her, protect her, and those feelings are strange but not as much as they should be. They are familiar, feels natural , as if the soldier’s purpose is more than to destroy, as if it needs something to protect and she is here._

_She is dangerous, he sees it for himself and she is still beautiful when she kills. After it is done, she takes his hand and hers fits in his perfectly. She belongs to him, he knows this just as he knows that he is a weapon to be used. They work together perfectly and those who keep them realize that the spark they have for each other will not fade. They do not try to extinguish it, instead they let it grow. The solider and the widow become each other’s and it makes them even more deadly than they were when they were apart._

After that day, they were a little more careful, did not stay in that area. They are used to avoiding detection and it is not difficult to steal away in the middle of the night, leave nothing behind. Their hawk does not say anything about moving so much. He has never really had a permanent place to call his own and now that he is theirs, it is much the same. James and Natasha have always made their home where ever they were, wherever their next target or mission was. It is simple to move more , whatever is needed to keep their hawk with them. He is theirs to keep.

_The solider becomes more than just the solider the more he is around the widow, around Natasha. He is still weapon, just as she is, but there are moments when he feels warm again, when her heat takes away the chill he is so used to._

_She is with him now, washing after the mission, washing the other man’s touch and blood off of her skin. It had been a distraction, her taking him to bed, and the solider had put a bullet through the man. His only regret was that he had to dirty her but she will be clean soon._

_“I have been covered in blood before, it always washes off, James.”_

_Her words are soft. The name is different, something she has not called him before._

_“James?”_

_It is a question he asks her as he gets her fresh water, gets her a towel so she can dry off once she is finished. She answers as she scrubs the blood from her collar bone._

_“I do not wish to call you winter solider all the time. I asked them for a name, something else to call you and that is what they gave me.”_

_She is clean now and he nods at her answer. James seems fitting enough, not quite what he would call himself but familiar enough that he can accept it. As the night passes, as they join their bodies together she calls him that again and he thinks that for her he can be James and the solider, anything she may need him to be._

They stay one step ahead, always aware of what will happen if they do not. They will lose him and that is something they refuse to let happen now that they have him.

_He watches after her. It is not a difficult task for him, to watch her during her missions. She is captivating when she plays a part, when she toys with the targets. This time is a little different because the target is a weapon as well, one whose target is her._

_Hawkeye is someone they have been after for a while, an agent of SHEILD that uses arrows. He is skilled, has led them on quite a chase but now it will be over soon. He is after Natasha and it provides the chance to take him out._

_The solider waits, hidden, will not let any harm come to the widow. He is not known to Barton and that will ensure that he is taken care of. Barton comes but he does not keep his distance, gets close to the widow instead. He has his arrow drawn and the solider waits for him to attack but he doesn’t. He speaks to her of new chances instead and the solider is intrigued but it does not stop him from attacking when Natasha speaks of not being alone._

_Barton is a fighter, doesn’t back down. He is fast and creative and the solider hasn’t had such an interesting challenge for a while. Barton gets his mask off of him and he stills when he gets a full look at James’s face. He wonders what he sees that makes him hesitate. It is enough to get Natasha to join the fight and the two of them soon have him knocked out, lying on the bed. James had been careful with him even though it shouldn’t matter since the man will be dead soon._

_Natasha is staring down at him, a mixture of curiosity and want in her eyes. He asks her if she would have gone with him if he wasn’t here and she tells him that it would have to be another life. He would have let her go, if it was what she wanted, but he is glad that she has chosen him once again. They fit._

_“Seems a waste, doesn’t it?”_

_She is trailing her fingers across Barton’s skin as she says this and he admires the sight. They would look beautiful together and there is something about Barton that makes him want the man to live. Perhaps it is because he saw something in her just as James had all those years ago._

_“Doesn’t have to be. All that really matters is that he doesn’t go back to SHEILD. We could make a different call.”_

_The words are out of his mouth and she puts her knife down, says let’s keep him. It is all James needs to hear and he secures him. They will have to break him but they will mend him after._

They have already almost lost their hawk once since the news that he is being looked for, not from Shield showing up but from a mission where Clint was wounded. Their hawk was not like them, not altered to last longer, to heal faster. The wound was in his side, a nasty cut that lost a lot of blood. They made sure that he was taken care of and it was then that another decision was made, one to make their hawk more like them then he already is.

_They take him to one of the places where they were broken, secure him there. They tie him to a chair, ropes tight but not enough to hurt. He is all fight when he first wakes up, tells them he won’t give up any secret. Barton does not understand that he is theirs now. SHEILD cannot be allowed to keep him and this is better than his death, gives them something else besides each other._

_The solider touches his throat, metal against warm skin. There is a pulse under his fingers, one he can feel just barely but it is picking up. He is frightened but he is doing his best not to show, is a bit of a performer just as Natasha is._

_“We don’t plan on killing you. We are offering you a chance at new life, one where you won’t have to be alone.”_

_Natasha’s words are like Barton’s own from earlier and it makes the throat under his fingers tense more. There is a breath taken and then there are angry words escaping Barton’s mouth._

_“I don’t want it.”_

_There is such resolve in them and there is a hitch of breath like he expects it to be cut off soon. It is not, James simply touches his pulse point once before going to get the drug that will help relax him. Barton gets his hands free, runs for the door but Natasha stops him and the solider come to him, drags him to the floor and puts the needle in his neck._

_“You will.”_

_James is sure of this, watches Natasha kiss the mark from the needle and knows that he belongs with them._

They took him to a safe house, one that SHEILD won’t be able to find. He was worked on, wound sewed shut and more blood given, James’s blood. There is still a bit of formula in it, still some of what makes him heal faster. Natasha has something similar, not as strong as his but their hawk has been so painfully human and that is going to change now. It will take some treatments, a few days, and some more of James’s blood and something to help trigger the formula in it. He will be stronger when it is over, perhaps not as strong as the solider but he will be more durable. They intend to keep him a very long time.

_They sit with him and ask him many questions that first day, so many that he won’t answer but there are a few that he does answer. Sometimes his silence tells them more than words can. They are figuring him out but they still want to know more._

_“Do you have any family?"_

_It would be an easy enough thing to find out but James wants to know now, wants Barton to tell them. He and Natasha have no family that either of them knows about, have no ties that bind them except the ones that hold them together. Perhaps it will be the same for Clint soon. He has been relaxed enough now that he answers the question._

_“They are all gone. “_

_It is a simple answer, could be a lie but they are both sure it is not. It is good that he does not have much in this world, will mean that they are going to give him something he otherwise would not have._

_“Why do you want to know so much about me? “_

_His question is spoken with confusion, like he does not understand why anyone would have curiosity about him. Natasha answer._

_“We are going to keep you.”_

_Barton tenses up at this, tries to move from them. There is so much fight in him, it makes James think of something he can’t quite get a picture of , someone who wouldn’t give up. It disappears from his mind just as quickly as it appeared and what is left is now, Clint angrily speaking as he tries to make it to the door._

_“I’m not some stray that you can keep on a leash.”_

_James stops him from rising, holds him still with his metal arm. He holds his shoulder, tight enough that it will bruise later. He makes sure that Clint is looking at them, listening._

_“No, you are a weapon, just like we are, just someone different pulls your trigger.”_

_Clint says nothing to this, must recognize it as a truth and he lets James pull him back down to the floor, settled between Natasha and him as they continue asking him question._

Clint is in a bed, all the various tubing connected to him. They are near him, want to be the first things he sees when he wakes. Natasha trails a finger over one of the tubes.

“Will it work?”

Her voice is soft and there is just a hint of worry. They have put so much time into shaping him, into making him theirs that it would be a shame for this to not make him last longer.

“It should. Look at his wound.”

She does, pulls the bandaging aside so they can look at the stitches. There is redness around them but they are already starting to heal, don’t look nearly as bad as they did an hour ago. It is a good sign and when their hawk awakes later, he has no idea of what has changed, of how much more he belongs to them now.

_Those first few days are all about finding out information and Barton tries to as well. He wants out of here but knows that it is slim chance that he will escape. He stares at James sometimes as if he knows something about him but it doesn’t matter. Anything he needs to know about them, they will let him learn but first they have to break him, make him theirs._

_They have both been broken but this is the first time they are breaking someone else. They could have given him directly to their handlers, see what they could do to him but he is their prize, something they want to keep and his loyalty needs to be to them and not those who use them as weapons._

_He is stubborn, refuses things at times. They have been drugging his food and water, using the chemicals to help influence him and he knows this, wouldn’t eat. They had to hurt him and it is a day after that has happened and he takes the food he is given, eyes on his wrapped fingers as he eats, as they sit next to him, bodies touching his._

_“They will heal. You will be able to use them again.”_

_James says this. They have learned enough about him to know how important his arrows are to him, how much he treasures his fingers. It is why she broke them so gently, a warning but one that would not cause too much harm._

_“Until you break them again.”_

_He says this so matter of fact. He is used to being hurt but they are different than the others who have hurt him before, they will soothe him, keep him once he has healed and become something different._

_“We only break what we need to.”_

_Natasha says this softly and Barton is quiet and when she touches his shoulder, he doesn’t turn away._

_“You are going to break me. ”_

_It is a statement, not a question but James answers it like it is one._

_“Yes. We will put your pieces back together.”_

_There is no reason to hide their intentions. He tries to get up at this, one more act of defiance. Natasha still has her hand on his shoulder and does not let him leave their side. There is still so much to do before they can remold him._

It takes only a few days for Clint to heal up enough for them to be on the move again. There are a few changes, just enough for them to know that the treatment worked. He doesn’t bruise as easily anymore and they miss their marks lasting a long time but it is better than losing him.

They do not let him out of their sight for the most part, keep him close. He doesn’t mind, their hawk liking the attention.   He likes to show off for them, uses his arrows still. There is a thought to have him stop using them, they are very recognizable after all, but he enjoys them so much that they don’t want to take them away. He is more vicious now than he was before them and James sometimes wonders if Shield wants him back or if they want him out of the way.

_It is decided to make him forget. It has been done to both of them before. They are giving him a new life and there is no reason for him to have reminders of the old._

_The solider is the one to strap him to the chair but it is James who tells him to not fight it. It is advice that will not be heeded, their hawk is a fighter after all. When it is done the first time, there are still memories that cling to him but it is progress._

_They start to do it often, need to break him so that they can remake him. They hold him after, ask questions. Agent Barton is starting to slip away and their hawk is starting to form._

_“Where did you get this?”_

_Natasha trails her fingers over a scar on his arm, a small one. Clint’s eyes drift down to it, stares at it._

_“It came from…..”_

_He is struggling to think of it and James brings a metal finger to his lips, quiets him._

_“It is alright, Hawk. Tell us how you got it, if you can remember.”_

_“Don’t call me that.”_

_He is trying to deny the name but they won’t let him. This is his place now, with them, and they will always remind him of it._

_“It is what you are, our hawk. Tell us what you remember about that scar.”_

_Natasha still has her fingers on it as she speaks. There is a moment of silence but he answers them._

_“I don’t remember that scar.”_

_There is pain in his voice and they both hold him, tell him that it is alright. They have him and that is all that matters. They comfort him like this for a while, holding him close and whispering calming words meant to draw him closer to them. It soothes him a bit. They continue to strip away the agent, leaving their hawk in his place._

Nothing much changes after Clint’s wound, they still take missions, mostly with each other. Sometimes there will be one that only requires the Widow or the solider and so one will leave for a while. They do not let Clint go after a target on his own, do not want to risk him being taken or the conditioning he has been put through to fall apart if one of them is not near.

The solider is called away for a bit. He is not happy about it but it is required. If he doesn’t come when they call, they may try to put him back in his icy sleep, separate him from his widow, from their hawk, and he will not allow that. So he goes, does the assignment quickly and goes to where they should be when he is done.

They are not there.

_After a while he doesn’t respond to Agent Barton anymore, the name meaning nothing to him now. He has forgotten most of that life. When they call him hawk, he answers, no more hesitation to it, and he accepts their touches easily now. They no longer have to focus on breaking him, they can start to put him back together now._

_They spend time molding him how they want, making sure that they are the only things he can focus on. Some would find it cruel but they know no other way to keep him and so this is needed. James knows that he is better off now than he was before. He has been abandoned by so many, claimed and then forgotten when there was no more use for him but they won’t discard him._

_He is beautiful, almost sweet now that he no longer fights them. The three of them are starting to fit together but they must make sure he is only theirs now, that the loyalty he had for SHIELD has been transferred to them. They need a way to test him, to make sure Agent Barton is no longer there, that Clint, their hawk is what remains. In the end, it is a simple thing to come up with._

_“There is a target, one I couldn’t finish. It can be his.”_

_Natasha tells him this as their hawk lies between them. She speaks about who it is, a SHEILD operative who was saved by their hawk before he was theirs. If the man is still alive now, he would be a good choice to test their hawk with._

_“That could work.”_

_James has his fingers in their hawk’s hair, strokes his scalp. There is a little murmur but he stays a sleep, does not move from James’s grasp. He is almost completely theirs and the solider wants to see their hawk hunt, take out prey._

_“We will need to watch him every step of the way but if he does it, then we will know he is ours.”_

_Natasha nods at his words and they discuss it for the next few moments, taking care to keep their voices soft so their hawk does not awake. They will find out what they need to know and then they will take their hawk from this room, let him spread his wings a bit more but keep him at their side._

The room had been empty but there was not much sign of a struggle. There are little things out of place, little clues that let him know they left instead of being captured. He follows the trail, tries not to worry, they can take care of themselves. It leads him to another safe house and he enters it quietly, eyes adjusting to the darkness there.

He turns a corner and someone is near him, moving quickly. They are trying to pin him down. He lets them get the knife to his throat but he wraps his fingers around their own. The knife is at his pulse point but it does not press down and he turns so he can see who the knife is connected to.

It is Clint, their hawk, who holds the knife so close to his throat, that could cut it in a second. There is a thought that runs through his head in this moment, a thought about who exactly holds the knife, if it is their hawk or Agent Barton.

_It is almost time for him to prove himself to them and it is exciting and tense all at once. It is almost time to see if they can finally claim their prize or if they will have to break him some more. James does not want to break him anymore, is ready for him to be with him and Natasha fully._

_It will be only a few more days and they spend that time getting him ready. His skills are still there but they need to make sure he is healed, that he is strong enough to do this. They spar with him, take turns. Right now, James watches Clint and Natasha spar, her with her knives and he with just his hands._

_Their movements are a thing of wonder, so finely tuned and dangerous. They fight differently from each other but still both are deadly. It is almost a game, neither really hurting each other. It is a few minutes in when Natasha pins him to the ground, knife to his throat and her body on top of his._

_“You would bleed so prettily but I do not think any of us want that. Move my knife.”_

_She murmurs this as she lays on him, as she puts a small amount of pressure into her blade. James watches as their hawk does just what she says, moves her knife by grabbing her hand, twisting it away from his throat. She moves off of him as he manages to get her knife in his hand. He advances on her and the solider moves closer, wants to make sure that it is their hawk being playful and not Agent Barton seeing a chance for escape._

_When he is behind him, Clint stops doesn’t move any closer to Natasha with the knife. He lets James wraps his fingers around his wrist, hold him close. Natasha moves closer, wraps her fingers around Clint’s that are at the hilt of the knife._

_“Have you killed with a knife before, drawn someone close and bled them out?”, she questions him, voice low and inviting. She makes death almost sound like something beautiful, like a seduction. For her, the widow, it is. She kills close, draws her victims to her and snuffs them out when they have made themselves weak in front of her. The solider kills many ways, mostly through force or cunning. As far as they know, Hawkeye killed from a distance but now that might need to be changed._

_“I don’t know, can’t remember.”_

_Clint’s voice is just a little shaky but it is in frustration at not having an answer for her, not at the idea of killing, of not knowing. He likes having answers for them now, likes the praise he gets when his words are what they want to hear. He has been neglected for far too long and each piece of care and attention they give him is soaked up, appreciated._

_“Shh, it is alright. Doesn’t matter if you did before, you will soon. We will watch every step of the way and give you a reward when it is done.”_

_His voice isn’t nearly as sweet sounding as Natasha’s was but it holds a promise in it. Clint allows them to seal that promise with a brush of lips and they know they are so close to getting what they want._

“He is getting faster, isn’t he?”

Natasha’s voice fills the room just as alight flicks on and the knife leaves his throat. Clint is smirking at him as he moves his fingers away from his throat and the expression is purely their hawk. It makes the tight feeling that had entered him when he first saw who held the knife leave him. When he glances at Natasha, her expression is calming and reassures him more.

“Yes, he is. Was there trouble while I was gone?”

He asks the question smoothly, has been impressed by Clint’s speed. He is more now than he was before.

“No trouble but SHIELD came looking again.” Clint answers his question and there is no emotion other than annoyance at the name of those who used to pull his trigger.

“Maybe they need a warning, something to make them decide to stop following for a while.”

Clint’s voice is so sure as he gives them the idea and it makes Natasha come closer, to draw him to her for a kiss. Clint is unsure why the sudden surge of affection from her but he accepts it greedily. James watches for just a moment before taking a kiss from each of them.

That night is spent planning and getting their fill of each other. When morning comes, they make a strike against a SHIELD alley and all that is left when they are through is ashes.

_Their hawk has finished his task and now he is sitting on a bed next to them as they help him wash off. His fingers are covered in blood, as is the knife, but he is not shaking. He is calm and seems to relax as they touch him with the warm water, as they wash away the reminders of what he just did._

_“How was it, Hawk?”_

_James asks, wants to hear what he will say. They had watched everything, knew exactly how he did it but they want to know what he is thinking after it is done, if there will be a crack in him that will allow the agent to come out again._

_“It was simple, not difficult at all. Not much of a challenge.”_

_He stares at them as he speaks, no lie at all in his voice. His hands are clean now and he is theirs. It is time to claim him, to take what they have wanted all along._

_“Good, Hawk. Do you want a kiss?” Natasha’s voice is praising and she is so close to him as he nods yes. She kisses him slowly as James comes closer to them. There are not many words for a while, the three exchange kisses and touches and losing clothing._

_They are beautiful together, the hawk and the widow, just as he knew they always would be. She is good at getting people to respond how she wants and it is no different here. Their hawk likes her touch, their touch and it does not take long to get him to shake, to want to come._

_“You are ours.”_

_James breathes this out as their hawk is in between them, starting to get so very close. They need him to confirm it to give in and so they stop their movements. He lets out a needy while and Natasha silences it with a kiss and then some more words._

_“Tell us that you are ours and we will let you have what you want. “_

_He is so close and he begs for it now, pants the words that they want to hear against Natasha’s skin._

_“Yours, I’m yours.”_

_They praise him for it, build it up so it as good as it can be. After it is all through, once they all lay tangled together, they make him says it again, to promise it as they fall asleep._

The attack was vicious and for a few days, there is no worry. James wants to be content but there is still a fear that this will not last. He will send out his own warning, makes sure it is one that is clear and easy for SHEILD to understand.

The solider goes out one night, tells them about it before so they will not worry when he leaves. It is dark when he goes, the widow and the hawk are sleeping and he brushes a kiss against both of their foreheads, untangles himself from them before getting everything ready to leave. He takes their hawk’s bow. He will be very careful with it, James not wanting to deal with Clint’s anger if he loses it. This will not take long and he will be back with them in a matter of hours.

The SHIELD safe house is very close and it does not take him long to get there. This is just another reminder and he does not have to get close to make sure that everyone is dead. He leaves bodies in the rooms, clean bullet wounds and in one room, he leaves something else. It is a note, one held to the wall with an old arrow that is clearly one of Shield’s . He leaves and goes back to those that are his, confident that they will understand what the note means. It is a simple message.

Stop Looking.

_Their hawk’s first kill for them was with a knife but they do not keep him away from his arrows. They give them to him as soon as they are certain he can be trusted with them and when they are back in his hands, he gives them a bright smile._

_The first time he takes them with him when they all go after a target, the solider watches him carefully. The widow is laying a trap and they are there to ensure that it is sprung, that nothing happens to her. Their hawk stands at the ready, an arrow carefully set in his bow and the solider is right next to him._

_The last time the hawk had a bow in his hands and was a distance away he had placed an arrow through Natasha’s shoulder and the solider will make sure that does not happen this time._

_It does not happen. Instead, their hawk takes out anything that tries to hurt her, that will interfere with the mission being completed. He is so very good at this and the solider simply watches, waits till the target is dead and the widow safely away from the scene to comment._

_“Good aim.”_

_It is two little words but it is a compliment and it makes Clint look up as he gets his stuff ready to take._

_“I see well at a distance, can keep you both safe at it.”_

_There is a bit of pride in his words and also a promise. It makes James want to kiss him, to claim him again and so he does ._

They are still in bed when the solider returns and he climbs back in it with them. Natasha simply mutters some sleepy words, Russian slipping off of her tongue as it always does when she is tired or asleep and cuddles into him. Clint sits up and looks around the room as James settles Natasha next to him.

He seems confused, his eyes unfocused for a few moments. James does not like the look and so he moves just a little bit, careful not to disturb Natasha at his side, and he cups their hawk’s chin, turns his face to him.

“Hawk, Clint.”

He whispers both names and he watches the eyes focuses a little more and then a question comes out of Clint’s mouth.

“Did you take my bow out?”

There is just a little bit of annoyance at the question and it makes James strokes his chin as he answers.

“Yes. I needed to use an arrow for something but it is back here.”

Clint leans into a touch a little bit, before speaking and getting ready to get out of the bed.

“You always pull the string too tight. I should check it.”

He will spend all night fiddling with it if James let him and he wants to hold him close tonight.

“You can check it in the morning. Stay with us.”

He puts just a bit of pleading in his voice, something the solider used to not be able to do, something James will only do for them. Clint looks at him and nods, allows James to wrap his metal arm around him and draw him closer to them. He doesn’t seem to mind the chill and he fits so very well next to them. This is where he will stay, where they all will stay, the solider will make certain.


End file.
